New Delhi: In a step aimed at realising ‘Housing for All’ by March 2029, Union Minister for Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday released a Mother Sanction of ₹10,021.42 crore to 12 states under the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G) through video conferencing.

The states receiving the Mother Sanction include Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh.

Addressing the gathering, Shivraj Singh Chouhan said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is committed to ensuring that no poor person in the country lives in a kutcha house. He said PMAY-G was launched in 2016 with this objective. According to him, against the target of 4.95 crore houses under the scheme, approvals for 3.91 crore houses have already been granted, while construction of more than 3.05 crore houses has been completed.

“When a house is good, life becomes easier. We are not merely constructing houses, but creating homes supported by basic amenities such as roads, electricity, drinking water, LPG connections, and toilets,” Chouhan said.

The Union Minister also appreciated innovations introduced by different states. He said several states have undertaken initiatives such as helplines, grievance redressal systems, rainwater harvesting, livelihood enhancement through Self Help Groups, and mason training programmes, which have accelerated the achievement of the scheme’s targets.

Highlighting women’s empowerment, Chouhan said nearly 75 per cent of the houses sanctioned under PMAY-G are either in the name of women or under joint ownership, thereby strengthening women’s dignity, self-respect, and social security.

He further noted that housing construction is affected in cases where poor families do not possess land and urged states to take special initiatives to provide land and extend necessary support to such beneficiaries.

Chouhan also called upon states to ensure timely disposal of pending grievances, expedite the completion of houses under construction, and ensure prompt utilisation of the sanctioned funds. He observed that some states are yet to complete approvals in line with their 2024-25 and 2025-26 targets and urged them to complete the process by June 30, 2026. DeshGujarat